Technology

The Senate’s Rural and Regional Affairs and Transport Reference Committee ... called for a delay in the shutdown of Telstra and Optus’ 3G networks until more is done to work out how many devices could be impacted by the shutdown (including non-phone devices). The committee has heard from a variety of different stakeholders about the impact the shutdown will have on devices that hadn’t been considered when the decision was made, including medical devices, emergency phones in elevators, and even surveying equipment.

"Every project a surveyor is supposed to work on will be delayed if they are unable to upgrade in time.   Notably that would be infrastructure such as bridges, roads and rail.   But also housing developments in regional and rural areas.   If the 4 and 5G coverage doesn’t take in all the areas formerly covered by 3G then there will be new blackspots.": Michelle Blicavs, CEO Surveyors Australia.

The Victorian Farmers Federation (VFF) has welcomed the partnership between Agriculture Victoria and Halter in trialling the use of virtual fencing technology at the government’s Ellinbank Smartfarm. VFF President Emma Germano said the move was a forward step towards making the technology accessible to Victorian farmers.

Residents and visitors to the Upper Murray are now enjoying improved mobile phone coverage and connectivity, with the recent construction of three new Telstra mobile base stations in the region. Two towers have been built at Koetong and Burrowye and a new small-cell base station has been activated south-west of Cudgewa under the federal government’s Mobile Black Spot Program.

Howe Tran. Moving is often deemed one of life’s most stressful undertakings. From securing a reliable moving company to ensuring the safe arrival of your belongings, the hurdles can be numerous and often overwhelming. For those relocating within rural and regional Australia, the challenges are amplified ... Find a Mover, Australia's national removalist comparison booking platform is stepping in to ease the burden.

Tristan Steventon. Finding time to scout for weeds or monitor paddocks after a spray application is almost impossible as growers are typically managing larger cropping areas than ever before. Tristan Steventon, StevTech drone and data specialist says ultra-high-resolution cameras on drones provide a practical way to rapidly and remotely collect weed data for spray jobs and to monitor changes over time.

Over the years, Australia has experienced several large scale bushfires, with many of these fires and 90 per cent of the associated fatalities caused by faulty power lines in rural areas, according to Professor Alan Wong, Founder and CEO of IND Technology ... The early fault detection (EFD) system acts like a smoke alarm for the power network, enabling the prediction and locating of potential fires through this Australian-made innovation.

The state will lose taxpayers, and entrepreneurs will face additional difficulties in doing business. The state budget and entrepreneurs will lose in order to curb terrorism and international crime. In the case of bank accounts for foreigners, a long-standing rule of humanity applies. Namely, they choose the lesser of two evils. This is an unspoken rule of the global financial system.

To help protect Australia's livestock industry from the threat of infectious diseases, a revolutionary diagnostic test designed to swiftly detect infections in livestock has been tested by the CSIRO. The test is being developed by ZiP Diagnostics, a pioneering biotech company, and it is designed to provide early detection for diseases such as foot and mouth and lumpy skin disease.

A trial using a drone to tackle invasive weeds clogging Gunbower Creek is looking promising. A $100,000 Victorian Government investment allowed North Central CMA and Goulburn Murray Water to trial drone spraying technology alongside conventional boat based spraying to tackle the highly invasive pale yellow water lily in a section of the creek over summer.

Australian drone operator Ninox Robotics has boosted its capability for capturing aerial intelligence to be used for conservation efforts with the acquisition of the Sierra-Olympia Vayu HD longwave infrared (LWIR) camera. Ninox Robotics will put this high resolution compact camera to the test for the first time this month in the second phase of its koala spotting program ... ARR.News asked Daniel Vogelnest of Ninox Robotics more about drone monitoring of koalas.

Telstra is giving some customers complimentary handsets to ensure they stay connected after the 3G network closure on 31 August 2024. Around 12,000 complimentary mobile devices will be given to some customers who are in difficult situations, live rurally or are elderly.

The Australian Mobile Telecommunications Association (AMTA) today announced the launch of a new web-based tool, Check my Device to help Australians determine if their mobile device will be fully supported on Australian mobile networks after 3G networks close, including the ability to make emergency calls to Triple 0. Check my Device can be found on the website, www.3Gclosure.com.au, is available to all Australians, on any mobile network…

Tick the box for Yes or No. The handwritten note we would have our friends pass on to those we were sussing out as potential ‘boyfriends and/or girlfriends’ when we were at school ... With the introduction of smart phones and other handheld devices, social media and a whole lot of angry, jealous, nasty, cruel and self-indulgent sick human beings, we are now faced with a new type of bullying called ‘sexploitation’.

Chickpea, lentil and faba bean growers across Australia can expect significantly more productive crops within the next decade thanks to a new collaborative, international research project to improve crop yields ... Project leader Professor Rajeev Varshney FRS ... said chickpea, lentil and faba bean production is currently hamstrung due to limited genetic diversity, resulting in meagre yield improvement of less than 0.5 per cent each year.

PhD student Evan Curtis has reached a turning point in research investigating the use of drones, simulation studies and artificial intelligence (AI) to sustainably manage the kangaroo industry in NSW. Evan, a student at the University of Sydney, is mid-way through his project,  Determining optimal management strategies for four large macropods in NSW ...

Warwick Fry. 'Talking' to some (but not all) AI bots can be like talking to salespersons, call centres, MBAs and marketing executives ... The evolution of AI is leading thinkers (and novelists like Gibson) to revisit philosophical questions like what is consciousness, free will, identity? These are fields of enquiry which have been lacking since the commercialisation of academia ...

Stephanie Thompson. Telstra is “sincerely sorry” for the impact of a cloud service crash last week that continues to “cripple” all three local councils. The outage is continuing to impact Loxton Waikerie, Berri Barmera and Renmark Paringa councils, rendering them unable to complete almost all core functions.

Last week I attended and spoke at an International Leadership and Management Conference in Liverpool UK. It is an annual conference where academics and practitioners come together to share and explore the latest research and new trends on leadership. One of the key themes discussed that impacted me was the session on how technology and AI is impacting on our next generation’s ability to critically think.

BCG is on a mission to bring the latest in agricultural technology to farmers across the Wimmera, Mallee and North Central,” said BCG’s Communications and Engagement Officer Jess Bidstrup.